Crochet Rag Rug: In Progress pt 2

My rag rug is progressing along quite nicely.  It's about the size of a large placemat now.  (I actually haven't worked on it since Saturday though).

I did run out of scrap jelly roll strips and had to tear strips of other color-appropriate fabrics.  I rolled them into a giant rag ball.

We also put our little tree up.  It makes the living room so festive...

In the lower corner you might spot another new winter project emerging... 3.5" squares of vintage feedsack cloth and reproduction 30s prints.  A quilt?  A throw?

I'm not sure, but I have this lovely book for inspiration:

And these two projects from inside its pages are my favorites I think...

 

Although this lovely scrappy quilt from Flickr user Kelli is really tempting too:

photo by: Kelli

Cold weather always brings out the quilter in me...

Crochet Rag Rug: In progress

I've been window-shopping braided and rag rugs for a while now.  I've even haunted ebay.  They're so expensive! I had never really thought about making my own, because it seemed too complicated, or at the very least a long process.

Guess what?  It's not! 

I found a simple tutorial on crocheting a rag rug on Vintage Chica a few days ago.  There are several tutorials out there (search rag rug on Pinterest, which is how I found the one I liked).  I like this one because it's just one stitch (SC, single crochet).  You work more intuitively, adding an increase as you round corners, or if you "need to" (if the rug isn't lying flat).  I'd rather work it out on my own than try to follow a complicated stitch pattern anyway.

I started this rug yesterday morning while watching the Macy's parade and waiting for my casserole to cook, so you can see it works up really fast.

I started out using leftover strips of "jelly roll" from this tablerunner project, because I love the colors.  I have similar cottons in my fabric cabinet too.  I tore the jellyroll strips in half lengthwise, making about 1-1/4" strips.  I did find that 3/4" strips are alot easier to work with though!

I also found a cool video on youtube HERE, for tying the ends of your strips together.  I had been knotting them, but since the jellyroll strips are pretty short I was ending up with a lot of knots on the back.  (I actually don't mind them much, but that video has a cool method that leaves barely a bump of a knot).

This project is my "Black Friday Avoidance" strategy.  Since it will be a throw rug, on the smallish size, hopefully I'll have it finished and be able to show in the next few days!